BARGARH: A 61-year-old woman was killed in her sleep while her son and daughter-in-law suffered critical injuries after a speeding container truck crashed into their roadside house at Turnga chowk within Bargarh Town police limits on Sunday night.
Police identified the deceased as Ambika Tandi. The tragic mishap took place at around 10:30 pm.
Sources said Ambika and her family members were asleep when the heavy vehicle rammed into their house. Due to the impact of the crash, the asbestos roof of the house collapsed on the sleeping members. The elderly woman was crushed to death while her son and daughter-in-law sustained grievous injuries. Three other family members escaped unhurt.
On hearing the loud noise of the crash, locals reached the mishap site and rescued the family members trapped under the debris. The injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital. However, the truck driver fled after causing the accident. He was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
On being informed, police reached the spot and seized Ambika’s body for postmortem. Subsequently, irate locals blocked the Sohela-Chhattisgarh road demanding compensation for the deceased’s family and action against the truck driver.
The agitators alleged that the area has become prone to accidents due to lack of traffic control and safety measures. Three major accidents have been reported in the area in the last one month. They urged the district administration to implement traffic safety measures to prevent accidents in future.
The road blockade continued for nearly two hours and was lifted after local administrative officials arrived on the spot and pacified the agitators.
Police said the container truck was seized. A case has been registered and efforts are on to identify and nab the driver. Further investigation is underway.